AI advisory, market integration and targeted finance aim to convert policy direction into measurable income outcomes

Industry and policy experts have welcomed the Union Budget 2026–27, describing it as a results-driven framework that aligns technology, capital, and market access to strengthen India’s agricultural and MSME ecosystems at scale.

Commenting on the Budget, Debarshi Dutta, Co-Founder & CEO, Ayekart, said the policy direction sends a strong signal on enabling productivity, entrepreneurship, and value-chain growth.

“This Budget sets a clear, outcome-oriented direction for Bharat by aligning technology, capital, and market access to strengthen farmers and MSMEs at scale. The launch of Bharat VISTAAR, integrating AgriStack with AI-enabled advisory, has the potential to support better farm-level decision-making, reduce risk, and improve productivity across diverse agro-ecologies,” Dutta said.

He highlighted the significance of capital access for small enterprises.

“The announcement of the Rs 10,000 crore MSME Growth Fund sends a strong signal of intent to back India’s entrepreneurial backbone and create equity pathways for high-potential micro and small enterprises. Alongside measures to improve liquidity and access to formal finance, this can significantly enhance supply-chain capacity and accelerate value addition,” he added.

Dutta also underscored the importance of crop diversification.

“The renewed focus on high-value crops such as coconut, cocoa, cashew, sandalwood, and horticulture opens up meaningful opportunities to diversify cropping patterns and strengthen farm incomes. When combined with aggregation, post-harvest support, and better price discovery, these measures can translate into measurable gains in rural livelihoods,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, Dutta noted that execution and collaboration will be critical.

“We welcome the Budget’s clarity of intent and look forward to partnering with industry, financial institutions, and government to convert policy direction into measurable outcomes for farmers, FPOs, and small enterprises across the country,” he said.

From a policy and competitiveness standpoint, Shashi Kant Singh, Partner – Agriculture, Food & Agribusiness, PwC India, said the Budget reinforces India’s long-term development vision.

“The Union Budget 2026–27 underscores India’s commitment to enhancing agricultural innovation, improving export competitiveness, and promoting women’s empowerment in agriculture—key pillars of the Viksit Bharat strategy. Focused support for high-value crops, along with special incentives for the fisheries and dairy sectors, is expected to augment farm incomes while strengthening India’s global agricultural competitiveness and boosting exports,” Singh said.

He added that targeted interventions across value chains can help position Indian agriculture for sustained growth in domestic and international markets.